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Nintendo Wii launches in Europe News
Wii News by Tom Bramwell
Nintendo Wii launches in Europe today, with widespread predictions of a sell-out following "bedlam" at launch events in London.
HMV's head of games Tim Ellis told our sister site GamesIndustry.biz that the retailer could have sold out its allocation many times over.
HMV apparently fielded 1200 Wii-related calls in the day before launch, roughly three quarters of which were from people wondering if they'd be able to get one without a pre-order. "So we could have taken another thousand orders today. It's just bedlam, really," he explained.
Nintendo UK boss David Yarnton said he wasn't surprised by the demand, and reiterated Nintendo's targets. "We're well on track to ship four million consoles by the end of the year, and by the end of our financial year in March we'll be on track for six million," he told GI.biz, adding that the US and Japanese response so far has been "phenomenal".
Nintendo Wii retails for GBP 179.99 in a bundle that includes a Wii-mote, nunchuk, composite video cable, sensor bar, a couple of AA batteries (natch) and a copy of Wii Sports. Launch titles include The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (yes, review today), Red Steel, Rayman: Raving Rabbids and Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz.
Games like WarioWare: Smooth Moves, Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime: Corruption will follow in 2007.
Check back later for more in depth coverage of last night's London launch shenanigans, where Ellie met Pat Cash and Ian Wright got heckled for not knowing what Zelda is.
For more Wii launch excitement, check out our photo gallery.
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Poster
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Mine arrived bright and early from Amazon this morning - I'm yet to set it up, but early first impressions are that the packaging is very Apple-esque (in a good way!) and everything's a lot smaller than I expected!
Still waiting for my copies of Zelda and Wii Play from Amazon though. Until then, I might give the virtual console a go... Super Mario 64? :D |
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Artemis_Matsas
08/12/06 @ 09:15
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I'm getting mine today :D + Zelda+extra wiimote with Wii Sports
Yes, i'm quite happy :):):) |
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HappyTreeFriend
08/12/06 @ 09:15
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Awesome launch. Haven't been this excited in ages. Dunno why, but only Nintendo launches seem to make me 12 again, maybe its a nostalga thing perhaps. All i know is that plugging it in to the work TV this morning first thing, and playying my first game of Wii Tennis will stay with me. Now i just have to get through work today, with the Wii sat all fresh on my desk....
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spliffhead
08/12/06 @ 09:15
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Picked mine up from Game at 7.00am, but....
Extra Wiimotes not released until next week, Wii play only way to get another. No component cables till next week either. From what I've heard Zelda is in good supply but Rayman and especially Monkey Ball is going to be hard to find after 24hours or so. All the best! |
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No mention of the massive allocation changes causing retailers no end of problems? I know of at least 3 stores (Argos, Woolies, Gameplay) who have received far less than expected.
It would be nice to get some clarification on this as it seems quite major and has been glossed over so far, apparently Argos are at least several thousand short. |
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HappyTreeFriend
08/12/06 @ 09:28
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"Nintendo have so much positive customer feeling, it seems everyone i talk to wants to Wii to succeed, regardless of how good it really is. "
Absolutely. Everyone i work with (not into games at all) know about it, and my boss now wants one after showing me his swing at Wii golf. After just an hour of playing, i know i made the right choice. Must. Work.....But.....want....more...wii sports. Tonight, friends, alcohol, and Wiiiiiiiiiiiii Life is good.... :D
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most recently on 08/12/06 @ 09:29
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thegouldfish
08/12/06 @ 09:32
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I hvae my Wii (yeah for midnight launches!), but not managed to play it yet, there seems to be an issue with the suppiles of Wii play and Wiimotes as some shops had them while others did not.
There was about 100+ people Queing up to get one last night at the Edinburgh gamestation. |
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Muddtallica
08/12/06 @ 09:41
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Talha: Come on man, be strong. The word "bedlam" existed long before that retard came and soiled it...if you let him claim it completely, then he's won.
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@HappyTreeFriend
dude 12 year old's are not allowed to drink yet! (i'm not as think as you drunk i am) ;) in The Netherlands wii is all sold out.. on pre-order, so i will try again next week, b00 N... unofficial internet "bla" informes us that The Netherlands only got about 3500 wii's for launch..
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most recently on 08/12/06 @ 09:44
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"Ian Wright got heckled for not knowing what a video game is"
\fixed You know, grabbing you x-list celebs to promote your launch when they actually know jack-shit about your product and \ or market really really makes you look stupid and simply devalues the whole thing. They should have got Delia Smith. |
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EzekielKnight
08/12/06 @ 09:46
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Hey thegouldfish! Number 3 here in the 'burgh. What number did you have? :)
Stuck in work with my Zelda manual :S |
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ronindennis
08/12/06 @ 09:55
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Mazzl, don't worry. The next shipment to the Netherlands is on the 11th. I was at Intertoys buying some games (man, they had a LOT of games. Rayman and Zelda stacked to the ceiling!) and you could already sign up for the next lot. There was a guy in front of me who was number 4, no-one else around.
Of course, that WAS yesterday... I don't know about the chaos now, though... |
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tonynibbles
08/12/06 @ 09:57
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Man!
Woolworths delivery delayed today! So probbaly wont get it till lunchtime. So annoyed, but glad that its still on the way, none the less. Oh and you can get a spare controller + WiiPlay at GAME for £34.99... I've got no Wii, just my Wii Stick :( |
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my wii experiance this morning was marred by a greedy wench.
grainger games in sunderland 1 hour before opening and just me and a bloke waiting there. great crack and a bloody nice bloke. the shop opened an hour early and we waited for the clerk to sort things out as me and this other guy waited. then this oldish lady came in and kinda tried to jump the queue in front of me :S erm manners, the clerk wasnt an idiot and just looked at me and asked what games i wanted with mine zelda, monkeyball(only copy they had) red steel just for the sake of it by now a disabled japanese guy was in the shop and two people looking at playstation2 games... weirdos she asks for two, totally robbing this poor lad of a wii. she was gonna wrap them up apparently for he son and daughter... i smell an ebayer... |
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HappyTreeFriend
08/12/06 @ 10:01
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Tonight, friends, alcohol, and Wiiiiiiiiiiiii
And a broken TV. LOL Im considering buying another copy of Wii play if necessary, just for the wiimote. Crazy, but i have demanding pals, they all want my Wii (thank you thank you) /begrudingly returns to work.... |
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thegouldfish
08/12/06 @ 10:07
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EzekielKnight: number 13!
I wish I grabbed some of the manuals to read at work, but I think it might have made the wait to get home worst. Oh and the Female Luigi was HOT! and even better I knew her! |
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The12thMonkey
08/12/06 @ 10:18
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Oh it would be so sweet... if the shipment of remotes destined for my local Gamestation had not gone walkies on route. So I had to settle for just 1. Oh well. Lots of Wii Sports was played last night. Now, onto Zelda... See you in a month.
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Psychotext
08/12/06 @ 10:20
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Queued up for 4 hours in a 24 hour asda... was 13th of 20. Bought the console, wii play and a nunchuck. Went home and played Wii Sports until about 04:00 with my 14 year nephew and 65 year old mother. Awesome. Everything I expected it to be and more.
Good luck to everyone still trying to get one. |
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Mentalist(air)
08/12/06 @ 10:21
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Please never, ever type 'natch' in an article again.
It makes my skin crawl. |
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rhinoxious
08/12/06 @ 10:29
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Game on oxford street was insane last night, must have been 500 odd people queing at midnight. I was out on the piss anyway so I though I'd go and have a look, but it was a two hour queue, and all those people had pre-ordered anyway!!!
Went back at 9.30 this morning, got wii plus zelda and wii play. No component cables though. Seemed to have plenty of stock and I only queued for about fifteen minutes. The manager was saying that would start letting stock go to 'non-pre-orderers' am 1pm. |
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I got my Wii this morningm with:
• 2 copies of Zelda, (1 for my kid bro for Xmas) • 2 Memory Cards, (Again 1 for my kid bro for Xmas) • 1 Wii Play • 2 nunchuks, (Yes you guessed it right, one for my bro) But I forgot to get an extra Wii Remote for my bro, but have one booked on Play.com from months ago, so should get one after Xmas. It sucks though, I'm in work now and won't get home till bout 7 this evening! But my boss bought one this morning as well and he said he was gonna set it up to the tv later! |
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DCrider360
08/12/06 @ 10:46
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got mine @ 12.00a.m this morn @ gamestation brum!
nintendo's got ANOTHER hit on their hands people!!! nice and small, very eligant too, it looks like a wii360 crimbo over here!! |
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